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Suicide mortality in second-generation migrants, Australia, 2001–2008

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Abstract

Purpose

Generally, due to limited availability of official statistics on the topic, little is known about suicide mortality in second-generation migrants. A recent study from Sweden showed that these people could be at a high suicide risk. In a generalised phenomenon, this aspect would represent an important issue in suicide prevention. This paper aims to report the profile of second-generation migrants who died by suicide and the suicide risk differentials of second-generation migrants with other Australians.

Methods

Official suicide data from 2001 to 2008 were linked with State/Territory registries to collect information about the birthplace of the deceased’s parents to differentiate migration status (first, second or third-plus generation). The profile and suicide risk of second-generation migrants were compared with other generations by logistic and Poisson regression.

Results

Suicide in second-generation migrants accounted for 811 cases (14.6 %). These tended to be represented by younger subjects, more often never married, as compared to the other cases. Second-generation males aged 25–39 years tended to have a higher suicide risk than first-generation migrants, but the risk was lower when compared with the third-plus generation. Second-generation migrants aged 60+ tended to have a lower suicide risk than first-generation migrants.

Conclusion

In Australia, second-generation migrants are not at a higher suicide risk as compared to first-generation migrants or locals (third-plus-generation). In males aged 25–39, a lower suicide risk was found in second-generations as compared to Australian-born third generation, which may be explained by their more advantageous socioeconomic status and the flexibility and resources rendered by having grown up in a bicultural environment. The higher suicide rates found amongst older first-generation migrants require further examination.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mr Les Gould from NSW Registry Births, Deaths and Marriages and Ms Nardia Cassidy from the ACT Office of Regulatory Services—Births, Deaths and Marriages, who kindly provided the data necessary for our analysis and Dr Delaney Skerrett for his valuable comments and suggestions to improve the quality of the paper. We would like to acknowledge financial support from the Australian Commonwealth Government, Department of Health and Ageing.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Mt Gravatt Campus, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Road, Mt Gravatt, QLD, 4122, Australia

    Chi-kin Law, Kairi Kõlves & Diego De Leo

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  1. Chi-kin Law
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  2. Kairi Kõlves
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  3. Diego De Leo
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Correspondence to Chi-kin Law.

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Law, Ck., Kõlves, K. & De Leo, D. Suicide mortality in second-generation migrants, Australia, 2001–2008. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 49, 601–608 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0769-9

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